Flow, WIP, classes of service, cadences, metrics (lead/cycle time), STATIK.
Before starting, we run a 1-minute tech check — microphone, ambient noise, connection. If your setup isn't good enough, the test is fully refunded.
Show recruiters you actually run Kanban systems -- flow design, WIP limits, classes of service, and cycle time metrics pressure-tested in a 15-minute AI oral exam.
The Plume Kanban badge certifies your ability to design, manage, and continuously improve a Kanban system in real working conditions. Over 15 minutes, the AI examiner probes how you map a value stream, set and negotiate WIP limits, use the four classes of service (standard, expedite, fixed date, intangible), and run cadences like replenishment meetings, delivery planning sessions, and risk reviews. It will also challenge your ability to read a cumulative flow diagram, spot a bottleneck from cycle time data, and diagnose a throughput problem before it escalates.
Unlike a self-declared skill on LinkedIn, a Plume badge carries a recorded oral session and a numerical score. A second AI model reads the full transcript and produces a 0-100 score with a certified level (Novice, Proficient, Advanced, Expert), weighted across five dimensions: flow mastery, metrics interpretation, classes of service, cadences, and conceptual depth including STATIK and the Kanban Maturity Model. The output is a detailed report and a shareable URL you can drop into a job application, a proposal, or a Slack message to your manager.
This badge is built for Agile coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Managers, team leads, and independent consultants who use Kanban as a primary system or as a complement to Scrum or SAFe. It also fits professionals who have completed a formal Kanban training (KMP, TKP, AKT) and want to back up their theoretical credentials with a proof of practical skill before their next career move.
Here are the concrete dimensions the AI examines during the 15-minute oral.
Identifying real workflow steps, surfacing hidden queues, and designing a Kanban board that reflects the actual process rather than an idealized version that makes the team look tidy.
Choosing WIP limits per column or per person based on capacity data, adjusting them as throughput evolves, and handling team pushback without undermining the 'stop starting, start finishing' discipline.
Reading a cumulative flow diagram, computing cycle time percentiles, spotting a trend that signals a systemic problem, and translating metric data into a concrete, measurable intervention.
Distinguishing the four classes, applying their respective scheduling rules, representing them visually on the board, and citing real examples where they changed a prioritization decision.
Running the replenishment meeting, delivery planning, service delivery review, operations review, and risk review -- and fitting them into an existing Scrum or SAFe rhythm without redundancy.
Identifying a buildup in front of a specific column from both visual cues and metric data, isolating the root cause, intervening with a targeted change, and measuring whether throughput actually improved.
Using the Systems Thinking Application Toolkit for Implementing Kanban to bootstrap a new system, and using the KMM to assess where a team currently sits and what the next evolutionary step looks like.
Getting stakeholders and team members to commit to explicit policies, managing resistance to WIP constraints, and shifting a team culture toward flow-oriented thinking without triggering a revolt.
Final scoring is performed by Claude (Anthropic), which reads back the full transcript and applies this weighted criteria grid.
The candidate can design a complete Kanban system from scratch: value stream mapping, column design, WIP limits, and explicit policies. They give precise examples from real experience and show why each design decision impacts throughput.
The candidate correctly interprets lead time, cycle time, throughput, and the cumulative flow diagram. They can identify an abnormal trend, name a likely cause, and propose a measurable corrective action rather than a gut-feel fix.
The candidate distinguishes all four classes of service, explains their scheduling rules, and provides a concrete example where applying them changed a team or stakeholder decision in a meaningful way.
The candidate describes the Kanban cadences they run, explains their frequency and content, and shows how they coexist with other frameworks like Scrum or SAFe without creating confusion or duplicate meetings.
The candidate is familiar with STATIK, the Kanban Maturity Model, and Flight Levels, can situate them relative to their daily practice, and distinguishes what is genuinely useful in their context from what is purely theoretical.
A Plume session takes about 20 minutes, from tech check to badge delivery.
The AI confirms your microphone is working and your connection is stable. You confirm you are in a quiet space and ready to speak freely for 15 minutes.
You give a brief intro and describe your most recent or most significant Kanban experience: industry, team size, goals, and outcomes. This sets the stage for the deeper questions.
The AI asks targeted questions on flow design, WIP limits, classes of service, cadences, and metrics. It adapts in real time: if you mention a CFD anomaly, it digs deeper; if you bring up STATIK, it tests whether you have actually applied it.
You work through a concrete scenario: cycle time blowing up, a team refusing WIP limits, or choosing between Kanban and Scrum for a specific context. The goal is to see how you reason under light pressure, not whether you recall textbook answers.
Claude Opus analyses the full transcript, produces a 0-100 score, a certified level, and a detailed report broken down by dimension. Your shareable badge arrives by email within 24 hours.
Your score out of 100 translates into a level a recruiter can grasp at a glance.
You know the basic idea of a Kanban board with To Do / In Progress / Done columns, but you have not yet set WIP limits or tracked flow metrics in a real team. You rely mainly on the visual tool without exploiting its systemic mechanics.
You have deployed Kanban in at least one team, you use WIP limits, and you track cycle time. You are starting to define explicit policies and run some cadences, but you still find it hard to diagnose a bottleneck from metrics alone without visual inspection.
You confidently apply all four classes of service, read a cumulative flow diagram to steer flow, and run the full set of Kanban cadences. You adapt the system to hybrid Scrum/Kanban contexts and use STATIK to bootstrap new systems.
You design multi-team Kanban systems using Flight Levels, use the Kanban Maturity Model to guide organizational change, and coach other practitioners. Your decisions are consistently grounded in flow data, and you know when Kanban is not the right answer.
No degree or years of experience required to take the badge. Here are the profiles it makes the most sense for.
You use Kanban alongside or instead of Scrum and want credible proof of your mastery of WIP limits, classes of service, and cadences to show clients or future employers beyond a self-declared skill on your profile.
You manage a continuous-flow workstream -- support, ops, maintenance -- and want to validate your Kanban approach with solid metrics before stepping into a bigger leadership role.
You manage a continuous backlog and want to show you can prioritize using classes of service and optimize lead time end to end, not just write user stories and stack-rank a backlog.
You help organizations transform and need a credible signal of your depth on STATIK, KMM, or Flight Levels to win competitive consulting engagements against other credentialed candidates.
You have completed a Kanban training or formal certification (KMP, TKP) and want to complement those credentials with proof of practical oral fluency before applying for your first dedicated Agile position.
Where and how your Kanban badge will help you day to day.
You are applying at a scale-up looking for an Agile Coach to roll out Kanban across multiple teams. You share your badge URL with a score of 82/100 and the detailed report, giving the recruiter a concrete view of your depth on classes of service and cycle time -- no additional technical interview needed.
A CTO is deciding whether to hire you for a Kanban transformation. Your Advanced badge with per-dimension scores shows you know STATIK and can run all the cadences, reassuring their leadership committee without an extra vetting call.
The company wants proof of real Kanban fluency, not just a checkbox. Instead of two hours of whiteboard exercises, you send your Plume badge with the anonymized audio and score breakdown, letting the panel see exactly what you know.
You just finished a KMP I course and take the badge to see where you actually stand. The report shows you have solid WIP limit knowledge but need to work on CFD interpretation -- you know exactly where to focus next.
You add your Kanban badge link to your Malt or Upwork profile. Potential clients see a numeric score and a certified level instead of a checked box, giving you a tangible edge over other candidates who only list 'Kanban' as a skill.
You demonstrate to your manager that your Kanban investment translates into a certified Advanced level, with a detailed report that justifies a grade bump or salary discussion at your next HR review.
A few minutes to check you have everything you need.
At the end of your session you don't just get a score — here's everything that awaits you.
You get a 0-100 score and an official level (Novice, Proficient, Advanced, or Expert) that reflects your real mastery of flow design, WIP limits, and Kanban metrics.
A full report breaks down your performance across the five weighted criteria: operational flow, metrics, classes of service, cadences, and conceptual depth. You know exactly where you shine and what to work on next.
The recording of your oral exam is stored securely and accessible only to you. Re-listen to sharpen how you articulate a bottleneck diagnosis or defend a WIP limit decision to a skeptical team.
A unique public URL lets any recruiter, client, or manager verify your Kanban badge, score, and level without creating a Plume account -- instant proof when it matters most.
Discover related skills you can validate with Plume.
A 15-min oral exam with an AI, a shareable badge for your recruiters.
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